Keep the home fires burning was Dick’s call to action yesterday, and this famous firewood plea was, of course, the title of a famous song. It was a chin up, chest out call to display the stiff upper lips of old Blighty and keep a warm smile of welcome and support glowing for ‘our boys’, the soldiers of the First World War. It was written by the prodigious song and musical writer Ivor Novello with words by Lena Guilbert Ford.
Not quite as emotive but powerful nonetheless, those images of a roaring home fire, feet up on the settle and wind howling outside are very potent and remind us of how much we need to keep warm and cosy at this time of year, so in his timely and practical blog, while every day the temperature seems to plummet like the career of a disgraced celebrity, Dick sang the praises of a couple of seasonal tools every chilly gardener should be thinking about using or purchasing around now.
They are, the easy to use, powerful but quiet and emission-free battery powered chainsaw the Redback E216C Cordless Chainsaw and a simple but very effective and amazing value electric powered log splitter
the Mitox LS40 Log Splitter. £179 and £199 respectively with an overall saving of £120.
This brace of top tools is pretty much all you need to create your own firewood and I like to think of it as MowDirect’s very own ‘I’m a Lumberjack’ Kit. Yeeeeeeha!
Sorry. Too silly! Ahem. However, buying any garden machinery, a chainsaw, in particular, is a very big decision, so if you are new to this type of machine, why not start by looking at some of our ‘Guide to Buying a Chainsaw’ articles on MowHow, our comprehensive knowledge base.
Here you will find information on the main features of chainsaws, guides to petrol, cordless battery powered or mains electric chainsaws and other valuable information.
There are also sections on chainsaw maintenance.
As important as the decision to choose your chainsaw is making sure you use your new chainsaw safely. There are a number of articles here on mowHow regarding chainsaw safety, including information on the right gear to wear and what safety features to look out for on a chainsaw but in the meantime, here are a few instant tips on using a chainsaw safely when out doing your cutting.
- When bucking (turning a fallen tree into logs) fallen tree, or cutting up a large log, you should never ever stand on the tree or log and saw between your feet. Stand to the side of the log making sure your chainsaw is to the side of your legs and body.
- The only time your chainsaw should be on or throttled is when you are actually cutting. Even between cuts, you should de-throttle or even power down, particularly if you are going to move.
- Always make sure your chainsaw is slightly to the side in use. NEVER have it in direct line with your head as kickback can cause the chainsaw to lurch backwards and a chain break would cause the chain to whip directly back. Nobody should ever be directly in the line of a chainsaw.
- Never run, jog or move too fast if carrying a chainsaw. Your saw should be totally powered down and of before you move to another area to cut.
- Try to keep a guard on the chain or tip when transporting it. When transporting long distances, keep it in a case and make sure the chain bar is covered. NEVER put it on the back shelf of your car. A sudden stop could cause it to fly forwards.
- try not to cut with the blade tip. This will help to keep the potential for kickback right down.
- Always cut below shoulder height. This gives you maximum control of your chainsaw and keeps the saw away from your head and shoulders and reduces the danger of kickback.
These and more tips feature in this article on MowHow
But once you have paid attention to all this and you’ve merrily cut a bunch of logs, what then? This is where the log-splitter comes in.
Like the Mitox model Dick mentioned yesterday, a good log splitter can create firewood from logs, is easy to use and saves an awful lot of back-breaking axe-work.
So here are our guides to buying a log-splitter. These guides include information, not just on what sort of splitter to buy but to what kind of wood a log-splitter can handle, the burning quality of different types of wood and more, oh and by the way, here is a quick and handy guide on how to season firewood.
And that, for now, is that. Holly will no doubt be back to her normal slot next week, having kindly swapped so I could bring you this support article to Dick’s blog.
Meanwhile, if you need any further information or guidance on choosing a Chainsaw, a Log Splitter or anything else, do call us on 0345 4588 905 (9am-5pm Mon-Fri & 10am-4pm Sat). Our product advisors are renowned for their friendliness and knowledge and will be happy to give you impartial helpful advice.
Mow I’m off to get a hot chocolate. Enjoy your garden. Drew Hardy.
